6 top reasons why WMS maintenance is important

If you have gone to all the effort of implementing a WMS to enhance your business operations, you will want to make sure that you're getting the best out of it, right? To maximise the return on investment from your WMS, maintaining the system is vital. But why is WMS maintenance so important? Isn't it just more work?

Actually, there's real value in being disciplined with your WMS maintenance, and here's why.

#1 - Cost-effectiveness

Preventative WMS maintenance is generally more cost-effective than fixing issues after they occur, especially if you have a maintenance contract with your WMS vendor.

Having a contract in place with agreed fees gives you control over maintenance and support costs. These fees will often be a fixed monthly or annual cost, which you can accommodate within your budget.

Without a contract, you have no control over maintenance and support fees. That's why regularly addressing potential problems under the terms of a maintenance agreement can save you both time and money in the long run.

#2 - Customer satisfaction

As much as implementing a WMS is beneficial to improving efficiency and productivity across your supply chain, it will enhance the customer experience too.

A well-maintained WMS helps ensure timely and accurate order fulfilment, leading to improved customer satisfaction. Satisfied customers are more likely to be repeat customers and recommend your business to others.

#3 - Competitive advantage

Customer demands and supply chains are moving and changing faster than ever. Maintaining your WMS helps you stay out in front where others get left behind. It gives you a competitive edge that makes all the difference in the battle to win and retain customers.

A well-maintained WMS allows you to fulfil orders faster, cut out costly human errors, and respond to customer demands quickly.

#4 - Adaptability

Because customer demands and supply chains are moving and changing so rapidly, you need to be able to switch things up fast when the need arises. Regular maintenance ensures that the WMS remains adaptable to changes in the business environment.

As your business grows or faces new challenges, maintaining and updating the system allows it to remain relevant and supportive of evolving needs.

#5 - Longevity of investment

You've spent money, worked hard to implement your WMS, taken time to train staff and overcome resistance. That's a significant investment to go to waste if maintaining your WMS is neglected.

Regular maintenance prolongs your system's lifespan and maximises your return on investment by ensuring it remains functional and efficient for an extended period.

#6 - Keeps your WMS up to date

WMS software doesn't stand still, it's constantly improving. If you miss software updates, you potentially run the risk of breaching regulatory and compliance standards. Equally, failing to update software could affect mission critical business functions.

Then there's the issue of security threats. Maintaining your WMS is vital for preventing system breaches that could have catastrophic consequences for your business and your customers.

WMS maintenance unlocks more benefits

Behind the scenes, your WMS is constantly evolving. For example, software updates can serve to improve integration with other systems, unlock better goods tracking and enhance inventory management.

These are just some of the benefits of WMS maintenance and the contributing factors that make it so important. However, managing maintenance processes can be time intensive, but help is available.

Partner with Prime Horizon Group for peace of mind WMS maintenance

Selecting, implementing, and maintaining a WMS can be daunting without support. Prime Horizon Group is an official Blue Yonder WMS implementation and maintenance specialist. With consultants based in the UK, Europe and APAC, we can support you through the entire WMS implementation project cycle and beyond.

With 24-hour support, testing services, project management and WMS training, we provide everything you need to make your WMS implementation a success. To tap into the power of a Blue Yonder WMS, call +44 (0)330 043 6407 or email info@primehorizongroup.com to start your WMS implementation journey, today.